The DC Voter Online is published by League of Women Voters of the District of Columbia and includes links to news from the League of Women Voters of the National Capital Area, and the League of Women Voters of the United States.

1 • Get involved in the League

Attend our local Program Planning Meeting on January 28th. We will be planning activities that will be our primary focus for the coming two years. We are a grassroots, bottom up organization - we need your voice to create this plan.

Join us for Civic Cocktails at Madhatter (1319 Conn. Ave, NW) on the second Tuesday of every month from 6:00– 8:00 pm. Our happy hour is a great way to meet other members and talk about the League’s work in a casual setting.

Volunteer for a League activity or join a committee. Find something you are interested in at the January Program Planning Meeting.

Donate. Now is a great time to support the League with a gift. Your support helps to make our work possible.

2 • Meet your elected representatives

Get to know the Mayor and your local Councilmember. Meet them at community office hours or town halls. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Attend your local ANC meeting and get to know your Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. Find your local ANC representative at http://anc.dc.gov.

Attend a Town Hall Meeting. Many departments in the DC government hold Town Hall events to get feedback from the community. Find one on a issue that matters to you and go. Ask questions. Make your voice heard.

What about Congress? Do contact Congresswoman Norton’s office and let her know what you care about. Then, find the Congressional committee working on the legislation you care about and contact each of the committee members. They might hang up on you. Be persistent, but stay civil and polite.

3 • Speak out on issues in our community

Write or call your representatives to let them know what policies you want them to support, to thank them for work you agree with, and let them know when you aren’t happy with them.

Host a party to bring friends together to talk about a policy issue. Be part of the solution by encouraging civil discussions held at your home or local coffee house! Some topics you might want to start with include: money in politics, affordable housing, women’s rights, or DC Statehood.

Write a Letter to the Editor or Op-Ed to one of the local papers or news blogs on an issue you care about in our community. Get your name in print! Outline the problem, and give three or four reasons why you support or oppose the policy or legislation.

4 • Add your voice to League Action

Work to correct the influence of money in politics. Join our Fair Elections Committee and join others advocating passage of The Fair Citizens Election Amendment to provide matching funds for small donations to political campaigns.

Promote an Improved Election System. Join our Ranked Choice Voting Committee to advocate for making political campaigns more more responsive to the voters through Ranked Choice Voting.

Support local autonomy, citizen’s rights, and DC Statehood. We are anticipating the incoming Congress will attempt to roll back recent gains in our local autonomy. Join our Committee for the Full Rights of DC Citizens and help make a difference for democracy in DC.

Help make DC a CEDAW city. The US is only one of 7 countries to not ratify CEDAW, the UN’s international women’s rights treaty. Help us promote establishing a local CEDAW resolution in our city to protect women’s rights locally.